Dr. Timothy Johnson of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is being recognized for his outstanding work promoting high quality, objective research aimed at understanding and improving the world around us, and his tireless contributions to survey methods quality and education. His important work on the Transparency Initiative for the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) promotes methodological documentation and reporting at survey organizations across the country and around the world, information that is essential to evaluating survey quality and to study replication – two hallmarks of scientific rigor. His generous mentoring of students and staff, and frequent lectures, workshops and webinars, are important contributions to on-going quality improvement in the field and to training the next generation of survey researchers.

Dr. Johnson presents at multiple conferences each year, both in the U.S. and internationally and is frequently asked to give keynote addresses and special lectures. He helped to establish several survey methods graduate education programs at UIC. Through his role at the University of Illinois Survey Research Laboratory (SRL), he has taught numerous workshops (and more recently webinars) to the University community. SRL has published the Survey Research Newsletter since 1969, a resource for the entire academic and nonprofit survey community. In addition to maintaining this newsletter, Dr. Johnson’s Laboratory also began distributing brief weekly e-mailed Survey News Bulletins in 2014. Dr. Johnson has generously mentored and collaborated with many students from multiple departments and universities, fostering future survey research expertise. He actively represents SRL at the University through service on numerous committees, including vice-chair of the social and behavioral Institutional Review Board.

University of Kentucky professor Ronald Langley notes, “Aside from Tim’s many service and academic contributions to survey and public opinion research, he has been a source of wisdom to me and many others on how to navigate the often difficult waters of managing a Survey Research Organization. Additionally, his mentorship of staff and students who are regular coauthors on articles and conference presentations shows his dedication to developing the future leaders in our profession.”

Dr. Johnson’s substantive work, available in numerous publications, book chapters and edited volumes, includes research that aims to improve health care for the underserved, assess and understand homelessness, and examine the causes and consequences of violence and victimization.

Dr. Johnson began his survey research career at the University of Kentucky’s Survey Research Center, moving to the University of Illinois Survey Research Laboratory in 1989, a center he has directed since 1996. He is the current president of AAPOR, the umbrella professional organization that represents academic, commercial, government, and non-profit survey research centers, organizations and firms. He has rendered past service to AAPOR in the roles of Standards Chair and Vice President, as well as being the inaugural chair of AAPOR’s transparency initiative for which his extraordinary service in advancing the initiative was recognized in 2015. Dr. Johnson served in many roles in related professional organizations, including the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research – MAPOR (as Vice-President/President), and the World Organization for Public Opinion Research – WAPOR (as Standards Chair). Dr. Johnson is a past president of the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO), a group in which he has been actively involved since its inception, where he has also served as Chair of the Education and Advocacy Committee, Chair of the Nominating Committee, Communications Coordinator, Conference Chair, Vice-President, and President.

AASRO

In March, 2008, the leaders of over forty academic survey research organizations agreed to join together to form a new association of organizations, the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations [AASRO]. Their vision was that AASRO would grow to be recognized as a leading voice in support and promotion of excellence in survey research conducted in academic settings.